fema email.

[gmfire21]

my department received an email from fema last friday, telling us to go ahead and start our bid specifications for the 2012 afg we submitted. is this a standard email they are doing this year or should we start getting excited? anyone else received one? no 1199a upateds as of yet for us?

also another fd in our county received the same email 4 days earlier than we did. all other departments in our county that submitted afg this year have heard nothing?

[BC79er]

That's a very odd email to get, wouldn't be a surprise if they're changing things around but still I would imagine there would be an 1199A or something posted first. Did you respond to the email requesting clarification or anything? I can see it being done for regional communications grants, but not really any other type since bid specs aren't so bad to put together for other equipment. Even trucks aren't as bad anymore in most cases, but no real time to be saved anyway since the build time is still several months long.

[SLY4420]

Had to be the standard govdelivery e-mail that came out to anyone on the e-mail list. It's not agency specific whatsoever. I had one come to one of my e-mail addresses a few days after another.

[gmfire21]

our chief is going to call his contact at fema this week to check on it. we have never seen this email before, just didnt seem to be an auto-delivery. we did ask for (2) engines this year on 1 app, so i didnt know if they were changing things up this year. thanks for the input

[SLY4420]

It's never been sent before, it's just another reminder to have your ducks in a row so that awards do not drag on past the 1 year period of performance.

Here's what was sent:

Grant Applicants: Get Bid Specifications Ready Early

Review your grant application's requirements and get your bid specifications ready now. If you receive an award, this early preparation will help you to implement your grant as soon as possible and help ensure you are able to complete your project within the period of performance.

1. Start to draft a bid solicitation that encourages competition by not using proprietary vendor specifications. By avoiding the use of proprietary vendor specifications, you encourage competition, which may decrease your overall costs. For example, you can request bids for a new pumper and specify that it have an "independent front suspension." But specifying that the pumper have a particular name-brand independent front suspension would be a proprietary specification that would limit competition to those vendors that build trucks containing those particular items.

2. Avoid any real or apparent conflicts of interest in your procurements. Remember that no employee, officer, or agent of your organization, who has a real or even apparent conflict of interest (potential for personal gain), may participate in the selection of the contractor or vendor that will supply the grant-funded items or services. They cannot accept gifts, favors, or anything of monetary value from potential contractors.

3. Maintain written procurement procedures. Become familiar with and keep on file the written procurement procedures and standards for your organization. If you are unsure, check with your local or state government for procedures. All grantees must have procurement procedures that follow local or state procurement procedures AND meet Federal procurement law as outlined in 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 13.36.

4. Have a record system set up for the grant. Make sure that you have system established that will maintain your grant records accurately and securely while still being accessible. All Federal awards are subject to a possible audit or desk review.

[mach158]

I got the same e-mail. Just assumed it was a mass e-mail as it certainly sounds like one, to me anyway.

[DTaa66]

That is so people don't wait six to eight month to put in for bids. Got a department that was awarded a brush truck over 8 month's ago that is still getting spec for bid. I would say they don't need the truck.
A week and your late is my opinion.

[EMT6126]

If you receive an award. That would be the magic phrase in the whole email.

[utfd701]

E-mail blast by FEMA

[islandfire03]

E-mail went out to all. Even departments that didn't apply this year.

[dist8229]

I didnt get one.

[SLY4420]

You need to be signed up for the e-mail blasts.

[gmfire21]

ok, thanks everyone.

[mitchkrat]

Dang - I was feeling special!

[MIDWESTCHIEF]

So, with this email coming out and my anticipation of an upcoming award; would anyone like to share a bid solicitaion for a tanker. My dept has never had to even think about bidding anything since we normally just build what we can afford when we can afford it, with no regulations of any nature to abide by. I'm sure that there are others out there thinking the same as me but too shy to ask. Thanks in advance for sharing.